Local Drivers Express Worries After Fatal Crash At Highway 75 And 106th St. N.

For many drivers, the intersection of Highway 75 and 106th Street North is part of their regular commute.

It's the stretch of highway Melvin Conder wishes he could avoid without adding time to his route.

"Cars go by way too fast,” Conder said. “Of course, faster than the speed limit, and you do have to wait till traffic is clear on both ways. So it is dangerous. My wife goes up a mile north because several years ago they built an overpass over 116th. I still a lot of the times take 106th and wait till it's clear."

Last week, Diana Keller lost her life in a wreck at this intersection. She was turning onto the highway when she collided into another car.

Related: 71-Year-Old Owasso Woman Killed In Crash On Highway 75

When Melvin heard what happened, it made him think twice about driving through this area.

"It makes me a little more scared to do it,” Conder said.

Lieutenant Mark Southall with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says crashes happen often at this intersection.

"What we see there is a lot of high-speed collisions obviously because we have a highway running through and a stop sign,” Southall said. “It's not just there, it's at 96th street as well and before that it was at 116th before they put the overpass at 116th. All three of those intersections have kept us very busy."

In a statement from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation:

“The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is saddened to learn of the recent fatality crash on US-75 at 106th St. N. in Tulsa County. Any loss of life due to a crash is a tragedy. Highway safety is a partnership among ODOT, law enforcement, and motorists. ODOT is committed to constantly evaluating and improving the highway system for safety.

Plans to reconfigure this intersection into an interchange are tentatively scheduled in ODOT’s Eight-Year Construction Work Plan in 2031. Nearby at-grade intersections at 96th St. N. and 126th St. N. are also scheduled for improvements.”

While Conder is happy to hear there are plans for improvement, he thinks it’s coming too late.

"It is so sad that people have to lose their lives to get something done,” Conder said

Until those improvements happen, troopers say the biggest thing you can do to protect yourself is slow down and pay attention.